Derry priest suggests St Patrick’s Day should be moved to July 12 after freezing Feast Day

Derry Priest Father Paddy O’Kane has called for St Patrick’s Day to be a moveable feast after parade goers faced freezing condition around the country.

In his weekly column, published every Thursday in the Derry News, the popular Ballymagroarty priest even suggests it could be shifted to July 12.

“I invite our bishops and politicians to change this National Feast Day to  another such as the  Glorious Twelfth,” said Fr Paddy.

“Then we would have a united Ireland as we all celebrate together in greater comfort.”

He argues that Saints feast days are not written in stone and our “countryside is not yet at its beautiful best”.

“Any summer month will do if the Twelfth is out,” continued Fr Paddy.

“‘Hail Glorious St. Patrick’ we sing  - there is little glorious about our March weather as  too often  the  ‘Hail!’ is  really ‘hail’.”

However, his suggestion may well be met with dissent by those who break their lent on the National Feast Day.

For Fr Paddy’s thought provoking column in full see this Thursday’s Derry News